Crunchy bite-sized pieces of fresh vegetables, herbs, and ham, combined with a light and creamy dressing, make this ham pasta salad a standout! Be the belle of the buffet or the big wig of the barbecue with a bowl of this elevated summer standard.

Ham Pasta Salad

I’m not sure about you, but I don’t want to spend a lot of time working in a steamy kitchen when it’s hot outside. But we all have to eat, so pasta salad often becomes my go-to in the summertime.

It only takes a few minutes to boil the pasta, and once you’ve drained it, all the hot work is done. Rinse that pasta in cool water, chop up some vegetables and ham, and stir it all together with dressing. If you ask me, meat, vegetables, and pasta equals a full meal.

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Instant Pot Country Style Ribs [+Video]

Country-style ribs in the Instant Pot? Total game changer. These come out tender, flavorful, and taste like they’ve been on the grill for hours—but they’re ready in under one hour! A bold, no-fuss BBQ rub adds all the depth, and one secret step will make you swear these came off real flames.

You don’t need a grill or a smoker. You just need this method…. oh, and maybe some napkins!

We have several rib recipes on the blog, like our Asian Sticky Slow Cooker Ribs or our Oven Braised Short Ribs, but this is our first country ribs recipe. I don’t know why it took us so long because we’ve been eating them for years, and they are so dang delish!

A typical meal in our house with these pork ribs would include our Best Baked Beans and something light like our Garden Balsamic Avocado Salad. My kids love having cornbread with the ribs, too, so sometimes I am nice and make that as well!

If you are looking for more Instant Pot recipes for making dinner in a hurry, you can find all our Instant Pot recipes here! Another one of our Instant Pot favorites is our super viral Award Winning Instant Pot Chili. And if you need a quick guide for cooking all your Instant Pot basics, you can find everything you need on our Instant Pot Cheat Sheet! Ok, I’ve gone off on an Instant Pot tangent…back to these juicy Instant Pot country-style ribs!

What Cut of Meat are Country-Style Ribs?

I hope you’re sitting down for this one, but country-style pork ribs aren’t even ribs. They are cuts of pork shoulder (aka pork butt) and is the same meat you use to make pulled pork and carnitas.

Are Country Style Ribs Beef or Pork?

Country-style ribs can be either beef or pork. It just depends on what you prefer. Beef will be quite a bit meatier. For this recipe, we prefer pork country-style ribs. We also prefer boneless over bone-in.

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Chilled cubes of watermelon tossed with lemon juice, salt, and a hint of spice are topped with thin ribbons of basil in this watermelon basil salad. Whether you eat it as is or top it with goat cheese or feta, it is destined to be a surefire summer hit!

Watermelon Basil Salad

Packing a surprising amount of flavor, this light and refreshing summer salad is a perfect choice to accompany anything grilled. And since it’s grilling season, this is a salad recipe you want in your back pocket.

This is best the day it’s made, but is still very tasty if eaten within a day or two. Wait to top with cheese right before serving for the best results.

Watermelon salad is mercifully easy to make when you know how to cut watermelon. And if you don’t know, check out that link for easy step-by-step instructions.

Basil is such a great natural pairing with watermelon. Both are fragrant and floral but the basil brings a little peppery zing to complement the sweet melon.

You can choose to scatter a little feta or goat cheese on top of the salad for a little briny deliciousness just before serving, but that’s strictly optional. I love the creamy, saltiness with the sweet watermelon.

Watermelon salads go into heavy rotation around here when it’s wa

Korean Ground Beef Noodles [+Video]

Want a quick and easy ground beef recipe that’s ready in less than 30 minutes? Korean ground beef noodles are the perfect recipe for when you’ve had a busy day. The flavorful sauce on the almost crisp beef is our new favorite dish!

You all went crazy for our Korean Ground Beef and I just knew you needed an even better version. Asian Noodles with ground beef is a game-changer!!

Have you ever had a take out dish that’s so crazy good you literally cannot stop eating it even though you physically are stuffed? This is that recipe!!

I love mixing it up by throwing in sauteed veggies, fresh edamame or even using only the sauce and skipping the meat entirely. I cannot wait to hear how much you all love this dish too (plus it’s so fun to be learning your names and where you’re from) so leave a comment!!

What Do I Need to Make Korean Ground Beef Noodles?

For being as flavorful as it is, you really don’t need many ingredients. Most of them are pantry staples, so you have no excuse not to make this for dinner asap! Here is everything you’ll need:

• Spaghetti: Any long, thin pasta will work great like linguine or vermicelli. You could also use angel hair pasta, or rice, ramen, glass, or udon noodles.
  • NOTE: For a low carb option, use zucchini noodles!
• Canola or Vegetable Oil: Used to help brown and crisp up the beef.
• Ground Beef: Use 80/20 or 85/15 for the best flavor.
  • NOTE: If you want to lighten this up a little, use ground chicken or lean ground turkey!
• Garlic: Adds flavor.
• Soy Sauce: I like to use low sodium soy sauce so that I can control the saltiness more.
• Orange Juice: Fresh OJ is preferred but you can use store bought if needed. Make sure there’s no added sugar. Adds tanginess and fresh citrus flavor.
• Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness and rich flavor to the stick sauce.
• Sweet Chili Sauce: Adds a little more sweetness and a tiny bit of heat.
  • NOTE: If you like a little heat and want even more authentic Korean flavor, replace the sweet chili sauce with gochujang hot pepper paste.
• Toasted Sesame Oil: Adds that signature Asian flavor.
• Cornstarch: Helps thicken the sauce.
• Green Onions: Adds a pop of fresh flavor.

The measurements and details for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! It’s a family-filled whirlwind of chaos over here this weekend with lots of family visiting and some very loud games in progress. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. 

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK:  Stuffed pork tenderloin is filled with sauteed broccoli, red peppers, and generous amounts of melted mozzarella for an irresistible main dish. It’s gorgeous enough for company, but easy enough for a family dinner.

Tender, spicy bites of chicken are tossed with fresh sauteed vegetables and plenty of Mexican spices to create this easy southwest chicken skillet with corn and zucchini.

All of the flavors in classic chicken parmesan are amplified in this simple chicken parmesan meatloaf. My whole family goes crazy over this dinner and every guest who has ever tried it agrees that it’s amazing.

Tomato pasta salad is the irresistible combination of tender, bite-sized pasta with red onion, super fresh tomatoes, and parsley in a garlicky vinaigrette.

Crunchy rainbow bell pepper salad in a flavorful Dijon mustard vinaigrette is a feast for the eyes and the stomach! Eaten on their own or added to any number of salads or sandwiches, these peppers are a win.

Cottage cheese ranch dip is a great tasting savory snack that just happens to be high protein and good for you, too! Scoop it up with cracker, crudités, bread, or chicken bites, but do make it!

If a thick, chocolate malt milkshake is your kind of treat, just wait until you scoop into this chocolate malt ice cream—it’s everything you love, frozen into pure nostalgic bliss.

What I’m CRAVING: Southern Peach Cobbler holds my heart today. My brother’s family brought a huge box of Georgia peaches with them when they drove up yesterday. These fragrant beauties are destined for cobbler tonight.

My FAVORITE THING this week is this new game. My friend Holly told me about Tapple a few weeks ago, and I immediately ordered it. It has been a huge hit with the family this weekend. YAY for a new all-ages friendly game!

What I’m LISTENING to: In Bloom by Jon Foreman. This album is so relaxing, and while much of Forem